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Job description
We are looking for a driven and enthusiastic scientist who demonstrates passion and creativity towards the structure/function study of important biological targets and who can thrive in a highly-collaborative setting. The individual will perform their post-doctoral research jointly in Dr. Jean-Philippe Julien's laboratory at The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute (affiliated with the University of Toronto) and at Northern Biologics, a biotechnology company developing novel therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of human diseases in oncology and fibrosis. The successful candidate will help uncover the molecular mechanisms of action of anti-fibrotic antibodies by using a combination of biochemical, biophysical and structural techniques.
Roles & Responsibilities
o Design and optimize constructs for expression in insect cells (Sf9) and mammalian cells (HEK 293F); o Biophysically characterize purified antigens for their Tm, Tagg and polydipersity with the objective to improve crystallizability; o Perform ITC and BLI binding assays between antigens and purified antibodies to determine binding thermodynamics and kinetics; o Determine X-ray crystal structures of antigens and antigen-antibody complexes at atomic resolution; o Use Electron Microscopy to screen constructs and to determine the molecular structure of antigen-antibody complexes at nanometer resolution;
o Assess biophysical properties of therapeutic antibodies to guide biologic drug candidate selections for optimal performance during manufacturing. Desired Skills and Experience
o Structural Biologist with a PhD in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or related field;
o Experience in molecular biology, protein expression in various systems, purification and biophysical characterization (Octet, Optim, DSC, ITC, SEC-MALS); o Strong knowledge and practical experience in using structural biology to study antibody-antigen complexes, especially those that involve glycoproteins; o Demonstrated ability to participate in collaborative scientific projects;
o Organization skills, efficiency and meticulous record keeping.
About Us
This post-doctoral position is a 2-year Mitacs Accelerate program, where the research fellow uses specialized expertise to solve business-related research challenges. The post-doctoral fellow spends approximately half of the time on-site with the industry partner; the remainder is spent at the academic research institute advancing the research under the guidance of a faculty supervisor. To be eligible for this program, applicants must be within 5 years of their PhD degree at the start date of the internship. Dr. Julien's laboratory is interested in the structure/function study of antibodies and their interactions with glycoprotein antigens to guide the rational design of biologics and vaccines. Dr. Julien's laboratory is located in The Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning at SickKids in Toronto: a new 21-story, 750,000 square-foot facility that incorporates an open-concept design, state-of-the-art research facilities, and collaborative work spaces. Dr. Julien, who is also cross-appointed in the Departments of Biochemistry and Immunology at the University of Toronto, will act as the academic supervisor. Northern Biologics is an innovative biotechnology company located in the heart of Toronto's Discovery District in the Toronto Medical Discovery Tower at MaRS. The cross-disciplinary team of leading scientists in antibody drug discovery and disease biology has experience translating therapeutics into the clinic. Dr. Johan Fransson is the Director of the Antibody Discovery and Development Program and will act as the industry partner supervisor.
If interested in this position, please apply at the website.
Applications must be received before December 15^th, 2015. The targeted start date for the position is end of February 2016.
